This invention relates to a fluid drive oil recovery process in which CO.sub.2, water and surfactant are injected into an oil reservoir to displace the oil. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for reducing the extent to which surfactant is lost due to its adsorption on the reservoir rocks.
In some respects, the present invention is an improvement on the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,538 by S. L. Wellington, J. Reisberg, E. F. Lutz and D. B. Bright. In that process, oil is displaced within a subterranean reservoir by injecting a combination of substantially liquefied CO.sub.2, brine and a polyalkoxy aliphatic surfactant material. The disclosures of that patent are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention also improves processes of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,668. The latter relates to an oil recovery process in which a bank of foam is established by an injection of a foaming surfactant, an aqueous liquid and a gas such as CO.sub.2.